When University of Montana guard Anthony Johnson was being recruited to play for the Grizzlies, some coaches told Griz coach Wayne Tinkle they didn’t think the Tacoma, Wash., native had the skills to play Division-I basketball.
Last week, for the second consecutive year, Johnson was a unanimous choice for the Big Sky All Conference Team after also being named the league’s Newcomer of the Year last season and runner-up for Player of the Year honors.
Just goes to show that college recruiting is as much of a gut feeling as it is an art.
But given that A.J. played just two uneventful years of high school basketball in Tacoma before journeying to Yakima Valley Community College where his game began to expand, it is no surprise he was a bit of a gamble, a diamond in the rough, to become an impact player.
But there was some indication of the direction the affable Johnson’s game was headed.
In his second year in the junior college ranks, Johnson was named the region’s Most Valuable Player after leading Yakima to the post-season tournament championship by averaging better than 31 points in four games.
Generously listed at 6 foot 3 inches, A.J. averaged better than 24 points that sophomore season, his third of organized hoops, while hitting 53 percent of his shots and missing just 25 of 230 free throws (89.1 percent).
Tinkle was looking for some instant offense and, since the Grizzlies have enjoyed some success with J.C. players added to a freshman-oriented program, he opted to bring Johnson, who was a package deal with his wife and future Lady Griz Shaunte Nance-Johnson, to the fold.
And what a story it has been. Not just with the scoring and leadership Johnson has displayed on the court, but in the way he has conducted himself in the locker room and in the community.
Now make no mistake the numbers themselves are impressive enough.
A.J. is the highest scoring two-year player in Grizzly history and will complete his career on the UM top-20 scoring list. He was just named to the five-member All Decade Team. He led the team in scoring 75 percent of the time this season while finishing in the league’s top five in that category.
And it’s safe to say the man who wears No. 23 in honor of his idol, Michael Jordan, will break Jeremy Lake’s career free throw percentage record of more than 87 percent while visiting the charity stripe more than 400 times in two seasons.
He is a shoo-in for the team’s Carl Dragstedt MVP award for a second straight year, but his tutelage of freshman guard Will Cherry has been what I have enjoyed watching most.
Just 18 when the season began, Cherry’s emergence has been a sight to behold and would not have been possible without the mentorship and companionship exhibited by Johnson.
Blessed with amazing athletic ability, Cherry had impressive high school credentials in most phases of the game but the transition to D-I basketball after winning one California state championship and playing for two others would have been far more difficult without Johnson’s presence.
But what might be more important than taking on that responsibility and many times taking the team on his shoulders and willing them to victory, were the positive things that he said after a loss both in the locker room and in the public eye.
Never fail, it was A.J. who took responsibility, encouraged his teammates, minimized the negatives, extenuated the positives and displayed leadership qualities uncommon for a 23-year-old.
His basketball future is uncertain but qualities he possesses make him a sure bet in life.
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